Select Exercises For
Each Muscle Group
When selecting exercises, you'll want to target all the
major muscle groups for a balanced workout. Here are some great exercise
options to choose from:
Chest
- Barbell Bench Press
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Push-ups
- Cable Crossovers
Back
- Barbell Rows
- Lat Pulldowns
- Seated Cable Rows
- Chin-ups
Shoulders
- Overhead Press
- Lateral Raises
- Front Raises
- Rear Delt Flyes
Biceps
- Barbell Curls
- Dumbbell Curls
- Hammer Curls
- Cable Curls
Triceps
- Close Grip Bench Press
- Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Tricep Pushdowns
- Dips
Legs
- Squats
- Leg Press
- Leg Extensions
- Leg Curls
Calves
- Standing Calf Raises
- Seated Calf Raises
Pick 1-2 exercises from each muscle group above to target in
your workout routine. Try to vary the exercises over time to hit the muscles
from different angles and prevent adaptation.
Determine Number of Sets and Reps
When designing your workout routine, you'll need to
determine the number of sets and reps for each exercise. This will impact the
overall training volume and your ability to progressively overload the muscles.
In general, the following rep ranges are recommended for
different goals:
- Strength: 1-5 reps per set. Focus on lifting heavy weights
to build maximal strength. Take longer rest periods between sets.
- Hypertrophy (muscle growth): 6-12 reps per set. Lift
moderately heavy weights to fatigue the muscles. Shorter rest periods to
increase volume.
- Endurance: 13-20 reps per set. Use lighter weights and
higher reps to increase muscular endurance. Very short rest periods.
For beginners, it's often recommended to start with 2-4 sets
of 8-12 reps per exercise to focus on technique and adapting to resistance
training.
More advanced lifters may benefit from periodization -
changing the rep ranges throughout your mesocycle to continually shock the
muscles in new ways. For example, focusing on lower reps and heavier weights
during one phase, then higher reps and more metabolic training in another
phase.
Pay attention to how many hard sets you do per muscle group.
Research suggests doing around 10-20 hard sets per muscle group weekly is
optimal for muscle growth. Hard sets are those performed close to failure with
good technique.
Track your sets and reps to gradually increase volume and
overload over time. Avoid increasing volume too quickly to minimize injury risk
and overtraining. Consistency over time is key.
Allow For Proper Rest
and Recovery
Rest and recovery are just as important as the workouts
themselves when it comes to building muscle and strength. Without adequate
rest, your body will not be able to fully recover and adapt to the stress of
exercise.
It's crucial to take at least 1-2 rest days per week where
you do no strength training for a given muscle group. This gives your muscles,
tendons, and central nervous system a chance to rebuild and super compensate so
you can come back stronger for the next workout.
In addition to rest days, it's also wise to periodically
incorporate deload weeks where you intentionally reduce the volume and
intensity of your workouts by 30-50%. Deloads help dissipate accumulated
fatigue and allow your body to recharge.
Aim to take a deload week every 4-8 weeks of consistent
training. You may find you need deloads more frequently as a beginner compared
to an advanced lifter. Listen to your body - if you feel drained, fatigued, and
sore all the time, it's definitely time for a deload.
Don't neglect rest and recovery if you want to make
consistent gains. Having patience is key - building muscle and strength is a
long term process. Avoid the temptation to do too much too soon. Your body
needs time to adapt in between training sessions.
Schedule and Track
Your Workouts
Keeping a schedule and tracking your workouts is crucial to
ensure consistency and progress over time. Here are some tips:
- Use a calendar app or paper calendar to map out your
workout days and rest days in advance. This helps commit your workout schedule
to memory and turn it into a habit.
- Log each workout in a notebook or workout tracking app
like Fitbod or Jefit. These apps make it easy to track sets, reps, and weights
used each session.
- Note your energy, motivation, sleep, nutrition and any
aches/pains for each workout. This helps identify patterns and areas for
improvement.
- Take progress photos every 4-8 weeks - visual changes in
your physique serve as great motivation.
- Weigh yourself once a week if muscle gain or fat loss is a
goal - but don't get discouraged by normal fluctuations.
- Review your workouts every 4 weeks. Look for opportunities
to progressively increase weight/reps or add new challenging exercises.
- Schedule deload weeks every 6-8 weeks where you
intentionally reduce your workload to allow your body to fully recover.
- Listen to your body and be flexible - if you need an extra
rest day, take it. It's better than overtraining and risking injury or burnout.
Consistency and tracking is key. By diligently scheduling
your workouts, logging each session, and reviewing progress overtime you'll be
able to achieve your fitness goals.
Progress and Adjust Over Time
As you follow your workout routine, you'll gain strength,
endurance, and muscle over time. It's important to continue challenging
yourself by progressively increasing the difficulty of your workouts. Here are
some ways to progress:
Add Weight
For exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses,
gradually increase the amount of weight you lift over time. Aim to add 2-10 lbs
per exercise every 1-4 weeks once you can comfortably perform all reps with
good form. This is key for building strength and muscle.
Increase Reps
If you cannot yet increase weight on an exercise, add 1-2
reps per set every 1-2 weeks. Once you hit the top of your rep range for all
sets, then you can increase weight. Adding reps boosts endurance and muscle
growth.
Add Sets
Another progressive overload technique is to add sets for
each exercise over time. For example, increase from 3 sets to 4 sets per
exercise. This increases your total training volume to spur continued gains.
Reduce Rest Times
As your conditioning improves, gradually reduce the rest
time between sets over time. Shorter rests increase training density and
intensity. Aim for 30-90 seconds rest between sets for hypertrophy.
Try Advanced Variations
Once an exercise becomes too easy, switch to a more
challenging advanced variation to place new overload on your muscles. Examples
include rotating between barbell, dumbbell, machine, cable, and bodyweight
versions of exercises.
Making small, incremental progressions over time prevents
training plateaus and ensures you get continual benefits from your workout
routine. Adjust the program as needed based on your current recovery abilities,
goals, and progress.
Sample Beginner Full Body Routine
A full body routine works major muscle groups in each
workout, allowing beginners to train each muscle group 3 times per week. This
helps build an overall strength base while introducing your body to weight
training.
A sample beginner full body split could look like:
Workout A
- Squats - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Bench Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Bicep Curls - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
- Tricep Pushdowns - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
- Calf Raises - 2 sets of 15-20 reps
Workout B
- Deadlifts - 3 sets of 5-8 reps
- Incline Bench Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Hammer Curls - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
- Tricep Extensions - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
- Plank - 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
Workout C
- Squats - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Overhead Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Seated Rows - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Lunges - 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg
- Preacher Curls - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dips - 2 sets of 10-12 reps
- Crunches - 2 sets of 15-20 reps
Start with 2 full body workouts per week, then increase to 3
once you adapt. Take at least 1 day of rest between workouts. Progress load and
volume over time as you get stronger.
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